This week we're on the road and live in front of an audience in Manchester, not only the birthplace of the Guardian but also the capital of north-west England, which will form a crucial battleground in the coming election. From Bury to Blackpool, and Cheadle to Carlisle, seats in this region will help to determine whether or not David Cameron gets a majority, or whether we're in for a hung parliament.
John Harris – who is so local that his old politics teacher has come along for the show – muses on whether there is a new north-south divide, while Michael White (a Cornishman) thinks the divide that counts is more about class than particular regions or places.
Members of our Guardian-reading audience argue that politicians would stand a better chance of reconnecting with them if they would tax the rich and turn their energies to helping the poor. Polly Toynbee agrees, and says politicians should come clean with the public about just how brutal expenditure cuts will be. But Michael seems to think that their softly-softly language about painless "efficiency savings" is as much our fault as theirs – the country desperately wants to have it both ways, so politicians suggest they can have balanced budgets without brutal taxes or cuts.
The panel also hear special packages from Burnley, where the BNP have made inroads, and about Manchester's numerous students who seem disinclined to vote. Once they've chewed over all that we ask to look beyond the alienation and apathy to predict the exact election result. Remarkably, all of our panel agree. But there's no need to look away now if you don't want to know what the final result will be – to find out, you'll have to listen to the show ...
